nor
415
IMMEDIATE
GPS 300
CHER/CAT A
FA HONG KONG 1803412 CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 1810000Z
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE F.C.O TELNO.894 OF 18 JULY 78,
INFO PRIORITY JAKARTA,
HKK 184/1
A
RECEIVED NI REGIS MY NO. 51
1 8 JUL 1978
INDEX
FICEA
Astion. T
ROUTINE SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
LONDON.
See 14419
YOUR TELNO.550 : U.K/INDONESIA AIR SERVICES..
1. CPA HAVE PROVIDED A LETTER (COPIED TO BCARFE) WHICH SETS OUT THEIR VIEWS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE FORTHCOMING TALKS WITH THE INDONESIANS. THE OBJECTIVES IN TERMS OF ROUTE POINTS DO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF FIFTH FREEDOM RIGHTS TOUCHING ON INDONESIA BY PROPOSING ALTERNATIVE ROUTES AS CONTINGENCY AGAINST SUBSEQUENT THIRD COUNTRY ACTIONS. CPA ALSO FEEL THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVOURABLE NOW FOR A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT WITH THE INDONESIANS (WHICH THEY FEEL MAY NOT BE THE CASE IN SIX MONTHS TIME) AND THAT THEY MAY READ SOMETHING OMINOUS IN H.M.G SEEKING A POSTPONEMENT OF THE TALKS. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, CPA WOULD PREFER THE TALKS TO GO AHEAD AS PLANNED BUT, IF THE CONCERTED VIEW OF D.O.T, HONG .KONG GOVERNMENT AND BCARFE IS TO OPT FOR THE PROPOSAL CONTAINED IN PARA.5 OF TEL UNDER REF, THEY WOULD NATURALLY FALL IN LINE.
VIEW
2. WE HOLD NO STRONG VIEWS ON THE SUGGESTION THAT THE TALKS BE POSTPONED ALTHOUGH WE DO SEE SOME MERIT IN THE POINTS MADE BY CPA. WE THEREFORE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO JAKARTA SOUNDING OUT THE INDONESIANS ON POSTPONEMENT TO SEE WHAT REACTION THIS BRINGS. GIVEN THAT KARDONO REQUESTED THE FIRST WEEK IN AUGUST IN LONDON, AND THAT THIS FITS IN WITH OTHER INDONESIANS NEGOTIATIONS IN EUROPE, WE WOULD EXPECT AN ADVERSE REACTION.
3. BCARFE IS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH OUR VIEWS. HOWEVER, HE
FEELS THAT FOR THE U.K TO SEEK MULTIPLE OPTIONS WHEN THE INDONESIANS HAVE RELATIVELY SIMPLE OBJECTIVES COULD PUT US AT A NEGOTIATING DISADVANTAGE AND IS THEREFORE INCLINED TO FAVOUR POSTPONEMENT.
ROBERTS
FILES
/COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT/
MAED
MISS BROWN
HK & GD
MR MURRAY
SEAD
CONFIDENTIAL